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Astana, June 18 : Over 25,000 locals, Kazakh dignitaries and world media assembled at Semipalatinsk on Thursday to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan's decision to stop nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS).

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who presided over the function, traced the origins of the anti-nuclear movement in Kazakhstan.

He also spoke about the selflessness, fearlessness and enthusiasm of Kazakhs to end what he described as "a crime against life."

Mogadishu - Over 20 people died in Somalia during fighting between Islamist insurgents and government forces Wednesday, including a dozen leaving evening prayers, witnesses said Thursday.

The stray shell that devastated a mosque in north Mogadishu late Wednesday evening was the worst single incident in a day of heavy clashes in north and south Mogadishu, where insurgent groups al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam are trying to oust President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

Washington, June 18 : A new all-natural nasal spray, called MucoAd, has been found to be safe and effective in relieving symptoms of allergic rhinitis, say researchers.

MucoAd is a mucoadhesive molecule (hypromellose) that prolongs contact with the nasal surface so that the nasal spray remains well tolerated, lasts longer, and reduces the frequency of repeat dosing.

Islamabad - Two militant leaders who broke away from Pakistan's top Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud have accused their former comrade of following a foreign agenda by waging an insurgency inside the Islamic state, media reports said Thursday.

The open disagreement came two days after Pakistan's armed forces announced they were preparing a decisive offensive against Mehsud and his network, which is centred around the South Waziristan tribal region on the Afghan border.

London - The Romanian immigrant community in Belfast suffered a fresh attack, police said Thursday, in the wake of a spate of xenophobic incidents that have left
20 families taking shelter in a local church.

The windows of the home of a Romanian family in south Belfast were smashed by thugs throwing stones late Wednesday night.

Although no one was hurt in the attack, police evacuated the family.

The Romanian consul in Belfast is expected to meet government representatives Thursday to discuss the situation.